


Try to Love Me

by WitchWithWifi



Category: Lost in Space (TV 2018)
Genre: Aren't we all?, Don's just a goofy boy, Everyone thinks they're dating trope, F/M, Fluff, and hopelessly in love with Judy Robinson, just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-06-10 01:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19488046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchWithWifi/pseuds/WitchWithWifi
Summary: Judy finds a friend in Don West, and suddenly the only thing anyone can talk about is when she and Don got together.She and Don aren’t dating. She wouldn’t date Don if he were the last man on Earth.Luckily, they aren’t on Earth anymore.Title from "My Love Will Never Die" by Hozier.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This morphed from a Fake Dating AU into “Everyone Thinks We’re Dating But We’re Just Friends... Right?” AU. Every fandom deserves at least one.  
> As you will see, I have burned canon to the ground and happily dance on its ashes. For context: in this fic, most of the gang’s Jupiter’s (the Watanabes, the Robinsons, the Dhars) are roughly in the same area, and everyone else is camping out around it.  
> Enjoy!  
> (And yes, I am titling all of my Don/Judy fics with Hozier lyrics)

“I’m just saying, Doc, these babies were made for cruising across an open field for hours on end.” Don slapped the side of a Chariot- _her_ Chariot, and gazed longingly out at the gentle, green hills that unfolded for miles in front of them. It was sunset- though on this planet, sunset lasted for about three hours. Sunrise occurred almost immediately after it got dark.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Judy asked irritably. Her mother had set her up with a box of spare parts, and she was sorting through them to pick out the exact parts the tech team had requested. She’d been shocked, poked, and zapped by all of the little wires sticking out of their protective casings. And that was before Don had come over to pester her.

“Come on,” He pulled out the words into a drawl as he sat down next to her on the log. “I know you want to.”

She turned to glare at him. He saw smiling at her, all teasing and pleading. “Go bug someone else. I have to sort these before it gets dark out.”

Don made a big show of checking his watch, to inform her, “If my calculations are correct, we have two hours and fifty-six minutes before it gets even remotely dark.”

It was true. She could still feel the heat of the day wrapping around her, a humid blanket over everything. “Nice swerve on the bugging someone else bit.” She had already turned her attention back to the box.

Don was still looking at her. “I like bugging you the best.”

“You really know how to make a girl feel special.”

“It’s one of my many talents. Another one of my talents is driving. Oh, look!” He clapped his hands to his cheeks. “There’s a Chariot right there. Now, if only someone would give me their keys…”

Judy shoved him off the log.

“Ow.” Don looked up at her from the ground. “Didn’t you take an oath that says “Do no harm” or something?”

“Are you harmed?”

“I might be.”

“You fell six inches. You’ll live.”

“Your concern for me is overwhelming.”

Judy made a face at him, and he made a face right back. The whole situation was so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but burst into spontaneous, unexpected laughter, and he followed suit. “I’m still not giving you my keys,” She warned him as he righted himself.

“Not yet, anyway.” He was brushing the dirt and leaves off of his pants. “I’m nothing if not determined.”

“I can see that.”

Before either of them could say anything else, she heard her name being called from across the clearing. She twisted in her seat to see her mother waving her over. “Oh, thank god.” She hefted the box on her hip and hurried over to where Maureen was waiting in the tent.

“You got them all sorted?” Her mom asked.

“Ah, mostly. They kept zapping me. I think I lost all sensation in my pinky finger.” Judy wiggled her fingers to show her.

Maureen started pulling out the parts, distracted as she handed them off. “You’re starting to sound like Penny.”

Judy leaned against the table. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Penny and I might actually be in agreement in this case.”

Her mom pushed her red hair back behind her ears, and looked at Judy like she was a math problem on her whiteboard. Like she was close to the answer, but didn’t know which formula to use. “Are you dating Don?”

If Judy hadn’t been sitting, she would have fallen flat on her ass out of sheer shock. “Don? Like, Don West?”

“There aren’t any other Don’s on this planet.” Her mom responded, still giving her that inquisitive stare. “So, are you?”

“What? Dating?”

“Yes.”

“ _No_.” Honestly, how absurd would that be?

Maureen’s eyes flickered back over to the Chariot, where Don was now chatting with someone else. A mechanic, judging by the tools hanging off her belt. “You two seem to be getting very close.”

“Mom,” Judy said, placing a placating hand on her arm. “Just because I talk to a man for five minutes does not mean that I’m romantically interested in him.”

Finally, this earned her a reluctant smile. “Are you using my feminist speech against me right now?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Maureen pressed a kiss to Judy’s temple. “Okay, fine. That’s on me for making assumptions. But just…” She shook her head, stopping herself from saying anything else. “Never mind. I love you. Go get some food before you turn in.”

“I heard Dad pulled out the freeze-dried veggie burgers tonight.” Judy grimaced. “That’ll be fun.” 

“I’ve heard they’re not that bad…” Maureen tried. One of the techies next to her gagged dramatically. “Or, maybe they are.”

“I’ll see you there.” Judy ducked out of the tent, and began making her way back to their Jupiter. She turned around to see Don still talking to the mechanic girl. As if on cue, his eyes flickered over to her.

Against her better judgement, she sent him a small smile, and felt more than gratified when he returned it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, it's a multi-chapter! There's a loose, plot-like idea here, but mostly these are just one-shots of Don and Judy being cute.

Judy loved her family. She really did. But sometimes, it was all a bit much. _They_ were a bit much. The always-present stress of their multiple setbacks, and general helplessness when it came to getting off the planet were beginning to get to her. So, she grabbed her comm, bag, and promised to check in with Penny every hour, and set off. She knew exactly where she wanted to go.

She wanted to get back to that meadow she, Penny, and Will had found a few days back. Maybe it was the beauty of the sound-sensitive flowers, or the calming blue-green hue that settled around the entire forest, climbing up the thin trees like moss, but something about the spot managed to put her mind at ease.

With growing excitement, she shouldered her pack, and headed for the fence.

"What's up, Doc?" Don seemingly materialized next to her, munching on a piece of beef jerky- one she recognized from the Jupiter's supply of protein packs. He had his jacked folded over his arm (The sun was at its peak, making everything on the ground a hot, sweltering mess), and was clearly fresh from the shower.

"Hi Don," She greeted him with a nod, and stepped over the fence. "Bye, Don."

"Hey, hang on." He jogged to catch up with her brisk stride. "Where are you going?"

Judy waved her hand at the land in front of her, where there was an almost perfect divide between the trees and the rolling fields that surrounded the camp. "Out."

"Can I come with you?"

Judy's steps faltered, and she blinked at him in surprise. Don looked sincere, and weirdly, hopeful. 

“You’re going to follow me no matter what I say, aren’t you?”

Don was already shouldering his bag (How did he already have one prepared?). “You’re very perceptive, Doctor Robinson.”

Judy rolled her eyes, but didn’t protest as he followed her into the woods.

“So,” He stuck his thumbs in the straps of his backpack, looking all too much like a little boy excited for a field trip. “Where are we going?”

She had to suppress a smile at the genuine enthusiasm he expressed. “It’s a surprise.” She knew he would be just as entranced as she had been with the sound-sensitive flowers her siblings had discovered.

“Ooh, mysterious. I like it.” He easily fell into step with her as they picked their way around the roots and bushes that populated the dense forest floor.

Don was surprisingly quiet for the first half hour of their trip, seemingly content to take in their surroundings, stopping a few times to touch the unfamiliar blue moss that crept up the skinnier trees (“Don, that could be poisonous!” “Well, it’s a good thing I have a doctor with me.”) or inspect the leaves of the tree branches that bent nearly to the ground. After a while though, he began whistling. He was more off-tune than not, but Judy recognized it almost instantly.

“Star Wars?”

He smiled, clearly pleased that she recognized it. “Seemed appropriate.”

The smile she so frequently repressed broke free, and Don took notice. He whistled even louder, scaring away the birds that had been camouflaged in the leaves. Judy let out a half-laugh. “You’re not very good at that.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Would you like to try?”

She let out a flat “hm”, as if she were considering it. “Pass.”

He nudged her with his elbow, undeterred. “Come on, I know you want to. Just a few bars.”

Judy rolled her eyes, but pursed her lips, and picked up where he left off. Apparently, Don’s peer pressure could get her to do stupid things, like open an emergency hatch like a teenager on prom night, or whistle in the middle of the woods, just for the hell of it. She wasn’t much better than he, but she could at least carry a tune.

She finished just as they were approaching the clearing. “Not bad, Doc.”

The water from the pond was dazzling today, sparkling and bright in late afternoon sun. The clearing was just as beautiful as she remembered. The grass was sparse, but the flowers more than made up for it. It was quiet today, and all of the petals remained tightly shut. “Thanks,” She said, voice quiet. She didn’t want to ruin the surprise just yet.

Don opened his mouth, presumably readying a reply. “Shh,” she reached up to press a hand to his mouth, but thankfully he hadn’t disturbed any of the flowers. He looked at her questioningly, and curled his fingers around hers to pull them away.

Judy kept holding his hand, and tugged him to the very edge of the clearing. There was no breeze, or birdsong. All of the flowers were closed up tight, looking ethereal in the pale green light of the forest.

She let go then, grinned, and then clapped as loudly as she could. Don jumped, and then stared in awe as the meadow rippled to life as the flowers opened up their petals, becoming, for a brief moment, a sea of vibrant pink, only to close them again within a few seconds. He looked at her, eyes once again wide with wonderment.

“Go on,” She encouraged, once the flowers had settled. “You try.”

He clapped once, twice, three times, and let out a pleased noise as the flowers revealed themselves again.

“How did you find this place?” He asked, amazed. She started picking her way through the knee-high flowers, before setting in the middle of the field. The ones around her fluttered open and closed with her movements. Don followed close behind. He sat down opposite her, sticking out his legs so they paralleled hers, and took a flower in his hand, inspecting it closely as it unfurled, revealing the magenta petals within.

Judy explained how she and her siblings had found it the week before, while looking for the caves. Don laughed when she described how the Robot reacted. “It was like it-he- was excited. It seemed almost human.”

Don nodded along. “Well, most technology- on Earth at least- has the capability of learning new things. Maybe Will’s Robot is learning.”

Judy leaned back on her elbows. Through the thick filter of leaves, the sun was less sweltering. It felt pleasant on her skin, and she closed her eyes. “Maybe you’re right.” Blades of grass tickled her arms and neck, whisper-soft. This was what she needed. Quiet, solitude, and peace. Even Don’s presence didn’t bother her. He’d been remarkably restrained that day, less boisterous and loud than she was used to. While she didn’t mind his usually exuberant self, she appreciated that he seemed to sense that she’d needed this. She relaxed into the soothing sounds of water from the pond lapping up against the shore, and Don’s even, steady breathing. The constant buzzing in her head began to quiet.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Judy cracked her eyes open, and had to stifle a laugh behind her hand. Don was sprawled out on his back, dead to the world. His mouth was open slightly, and his hand was still clutched around a flower. It was cute, she had to admit. He still looked boyish like this. She decided to let him sleep. Sleep was precious here, and for once, they weren’t in a hurry.

She stretched out next to him, and pulled out her com, settling in to read one of the many books Penny had downloaded on it for her. _It's like a labyrinth, my brain, and as beautiful as a brain can get_ _._ It was going to be a good book, she could tell.

She was only four chapters in when Don’s sleep-scratchy voice said, “Pretty song.”

Judy looked at him, brows drawn together. “What?”

He stayed where he was, head pillowed on one arm. “The song you were singing. I like it.”

“I wasn’t singing.” She paused. “Was I?”

“Am I your huckleberry friend, Judy?” He sat up, eyes alight with mischief. “Are we going to cross a moon river together?”

 _Oh_. Judy thought she’d been humming quietly, but apparently, somewhere along the way that had changed. “Only if I get to push you into that river.”

“Aw, don’t front.” He bumped his shoulder with hers, and for once, Judy didn’t immediately go to push him away. “You know you would be lost without all of this.”

“All of this being…?”

“My charming wit.”

“Ah.” Judy checked her watch, and started packing her bag. “We should head back.”

“Have I mentioned my personality? Some have called it sparkling.”

Judy snorted. “You’re incredibly humble.”

Don was off the ground before her, and leaned down to offer her a hand up. She took it without thinking. “Chivalrous, too.”

“Mm.” She had to squint against the sun to look up at him. “Charming.”

They were still holding hands as they picked their way out of the clearing, and Don helped her over a large root. “You think I’m charming?” He asked, clearly pleased.

“No, I was talking about me.” When he childishly stuck his tongue out at her, she couldn’t help but mirror his position, and then they were both laughing, the now-familiar sound echoing off of the trees surrounding them in the empty forest.

“So, that’s a no on the romantic river ride?” She felt a jolt of surprise at the word “romantic”. She knew he was just kidding- this was Don, after all- but still. This day had twisted her usual feelings towards Don, those of irritation, exasperation, and grudging respect, into something else.

“Who said anything about romance? We’re just friends.”

“ _Huckleberry_ friends,” Don said, as if she needed reminding.

“I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” Judy replied.

He let out a laugh, and swung their hands between them once. “You may be right.”

They dropped each other’s hands as the terrain cleared out, but walked closer together than they had before, and Judy could sense something had shifted between them.

In stark contrast to their hike out, the conversation flowed easily between them as they hiked back, trading barbs that didn’t seem to stick, and stories about their lives on Earth.

“So I ended up with a scar, starting here, right?” He reached to lift up the hem of his shirt, exposing scar tissue, pink against his darker skin. “And it stretches all the way back to my-”

“Nope, nope, don’t need to see that.” Judy pushed at his arm so he’d drop his shirt back into place, and Don just laughed. They were nearly at the fence, now. The hustle and bustle of the day seemed to have died down, leaving only a few people sitting around the fires, their shadows stretching long against the setting sun. 

“Well, looks like we made great time.” Don commented as they stepped over the sagging fence. He shielded his eyes against the fire of the dying sun, and sent a smile her way. It was the one she’d seen today, the one that only held a hint of his usual smugness. It was crooked, and unexpected. His eyes were shadowed by his hand. It struck her in that moment that, for all his self-aggrandizing comments, Don West was an attractive man. This realization left her more than a little off-kilter.

“We sure did.” Judy shifted her bag on her shoulders. Sudden awkwardness seemed to still her tongue. She didn’t know how to say goodbye without it sounding… off. “Um. Thanks. For coming out there with me today.”

Don was still smiling at her, but it softened into something with less bravado. “Thanks for letting me invite myself. I, ah.” He reached up to run one hand through his jet-black hair. “I had fun today. With you.”

“Oh. Me too.” She stammered out, even more so surprised to find it was true. Why did her cheeks so suddenly feel warm? Could it be possible that she- _no_. Nope. Judy cut her own thoughts off before her traitorous mind could go any further with _that_ idea. “So. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

He was still looking at her with that smile. “Tomorrow. G’night, doc.” He turned on his heel, and began whistling as he walked across camp to the Watanabes’ ship. Ever since he’d rescued Angela, he’d been staying with them. He and Debbie, that was.

“Goodnight.” She said, though she wasn’t sure he could hear her over his off-tune rendition of the Jurassic Park theme. She turned back to her own ship, smiling despite herself.

Penny was sitting on the top of the ramp as Judy made her way up. “Well, you look happy.”

“And?” Judy dropped her bag next to the door, and turned to sit next to her sister.

“I take it your date went well?”

Judy blanched. “My what?”

Penny looked at Judy like her sister had suddenly become incredibly dumb. Judy gave her the same look right back. “Your date? With Don?”

“It wasn’t- We’re not. I’m not dating Don.” Even though it was true, Judy’s stomach twisted uncomfortably, and she felt her cheeks go warm again. 

Penny raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Right, so you and Don running off into the woods together for hours, with no one else around for miles, wasn’t a date.”

Well when she put it like that... “ _No_. I wanted to go on a walk by myself, and Don decided to invite himself along. We just went to sit in that flower field, you know the one.”

“Mm, I’m familiar. Sitting with someone for hours in a meadow full of flowers is definitely not romantic.” Penny’s voice was patronizing, as if somehow she had turned into the older and more mature sibling. “You sure you’re not together? Or at the very least interested?”

Thankfully, Judy had been dealing with Penny’s gentle teasing all her life, and easily turned things around before her sister could get too close to the truth. “How’s Vijay?” Penny’s smug expression dropped. “I hear from Will that you’ve been spending quite a lot of time together.” 

Penny gathered her legs under herself and stood up. “Where are you going?” Judy asked, already knowing the answer.

“It’s time to commit my first murder.” Penny growled back, before taking off down the hall. “WILL! WILL! Don’t you run away- I just said don’t run away from me! Get back here!”

Her voice faded as she disappeared deeper into the ship.

Judy shook her head at her sister’s antics, but couldn’t find it in herself to laugh at her. She was remembering Don’s calloused hand clutching hers, the way he lazily looked at her while they were laying in the meadow. The way he dropped his usual asshole exterior for her, for just a moment, and complimented her singing.

 _No_ , Judy thought. _There’s nothing between us_. She hadn’t been able to convince Penny. Maybe that was because she couldn’t quite convince herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points for anyone who knows what book Judy is reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night bonding by the campfire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops- I meant to have this up yesterday! But here, enjoy as the fluff continues.

That night, her nightmares persisted. She woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. She was shaking, and shivering, and _angry_. Angry that her mind wouldn’t let her sleep peacefully, even for a few short hours. It had been weeks since she’d slept a full night, and she suspected it would be a long time until she did again.

She rose from bed, shaking the remains of the ice from her limbs. Even awake, the walls seemed to be closing in on her from all sides, constricting her lungs until she gasped for breath.

Judy fumbled for her shoes, and somehow remembered to snag her comm before she tripped her way outside. Only then did her chest expand, and her heart slowly quieted down, returning to its normal pace.

The fire in the center of their makeshift camp had mostly died out, though the occasional flame popped up again. It wasn’t too cold at night here, even in the dark, but Judy added a couple of logs anyway, and stood close as the flames leapt up, reinvigorated. She hoped to convince her mind that she was relatively safe, and as far from the ice as possible. She let her fingers fan out, just over the top of the tallest flames. _It’s fine. I’m fine._

She wasn’t. She picked up her comm from where she’d dropped it on the ground, and started scrolling through it, looking for something to do. Something to listen to, or read.

She commed Don. It was a long shot- like every other sane person, he was probably asleep. 

“Hhngh?” Her comm blinked as his bleary voice came through.

“Don?” Her voice was quiet. She already regretted this- of _course_ he had been asleep.

There was a beat. Then, “Judy?” Just hearing him say her name- not ‘princess’ or ‘doc’- just those two syllables in his thick, sleepy voice was the balm she’d needed. And the reminder that she shouldn’t have called.

“Yeah. I, uh.” Her voice faltered. “Never mind. Go back to sleep. I’m sorry if I woke you up.”

“No, no, I’m up.” There was a static in the background, like the rustle of blankets. “What’s up?”

She briefly entertained the idea of not telling him. Of letting the man go back to sleep, and sitting out here until the flames of the fire melted the ice that remained in the back of her mind.

“Couldn’t sleep.” She said lamely. “I just. I was wondering if you were awake, too. But you weren’t. Really, just ignore this.”

“Where are you?”

“What?” She blinked. “I’m outside, at the fire. But what-“

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

Before Judy could protest, there was a beep, signaling that Don had closed the comm. She hadn’t meant to force him to get out of bed, to come and find her.

Or maybe she had. She looked at the fire. She was beginning to learn more about her friend, in pieces. He followed her around when she asked- or even when she didn’t. He would do anything, or say anything if he thought it would make her laugh. He didn’t like his family, but she had a feeling he liked hers. He liked music, and once spent an hour talking about the history of rock ‘n’ roll while they were driving. And if she called him in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, he was more likely than not to come to her aid. He didn’t like to help most people, but he always helped her.

Just then, Don emerged from the Watanabe ship. His hair was tousled, half of it flattened across his forehead. He wore black sweatpants and a grey t-shirt. He spotted her instantly, and gave her a soft smile as he sat down on the log next to her, with a safe foot of space between them. “Looks like we’re matching.”

She blinked in confusion at the unexpected statement, and then looked down at herself and let out a breath, an almost-laugh. She was wearing almost the same thing as Don, except her sleep shirt was long sleeved. It was really too hot for long sleeves, but. Well.

“So we are.” She attempted to smile up at him, but was still too rattled, too shaky to do anything than offer him a friendly grimace.

“That bad, huh?” He tilted his head. “Want to talk about it?” His voice was unusually low, and calming. 

“Um.” She bit her lip, not wanting to appear weak in front of him. Well, weaker. “It’s stupid, really. It’s something I should be over.”

“Sometimes, talking about it helps.” He shrugged. “It might, or might not. But you’ll never know unless you try.”

Judy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man next to her. “When did you get so smart?”

Don’s smile returned, but was more closely aligned to his trademark smirk. “I’ve always been smart, but thank you for noticing.”

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe a smart _ass_.” He kept smiling, pleased that she was up to at the very least arguing with him. She looked at the fire. It was easier to say if she didn’t have to see his face. “We didn’t land on land when we crashed. We landed on this piece of ice. Which, of course, wasn’t strong enough to hold a ten-ton spaceship.” She told him about how she had swum down to grab a battery so Will didn’t have to, and how she had been caught by the ice a split second before reaching the surface. Don shifted closer to her, and she wrapped her arms around herself, hunching down. Judy’s voice shook as she explained while Will and her father had gone to find magnesium to melt the ice, she’d had to blindly coach her little sister through triage surgery on their mother, whose leg had been badly injured on their landing. How Penny read to her to keep both of them from spiraling into full on panic. “She read me Moby Dick. I told her that I heard everyone should read Moby Dick before they died.” It wasn’t funny then, and it wasn’t funny now. 

She jumped when she felt something on her back, until she understood it was just Don’s hand, rubbing comforting, slow circles in the space between her shoulder blades. She realized she’d been shaking.

“How did you get out?” He asked. His voice was quiet and serious.

“Um. So, the magnesium didn’t work, because it started to rain.” Tears pricked the edges of her eyes as she remembered how, right when it seemed like they’d figured it out, like she might _live_ , that the rain just froze her up again. “I started saying goodbye to my family, because I only had a couple of minutes of oxygen left. To tell them that I loved them, and all that. It was horrible.” Her voice broke, flashing back to those terrible last moments. “But then Will showed up with the Robot, and he melted the ice. They pulled me out right as I ran out of oxygen. If they had been even a minute later…” She shuddered, and leaned into Don, who adjusted to wrap his arm around her shoulders. He was a warm, solid weight against her, verifiable proof of what was real. 

“I had no idea.” His hand was resting on her opposite shoulder, thumb tracing tiny circles on her bicep. “I’m sorry, Judy.”

Judy shook her head, unwilling to look at him. “We all went through shit when we got here. You, Angela, Will… This planet hasn’t been easy on any of us. I don’t know why I can’t get over it.” 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean what you went through wasn’t also awful. Near death experiences aren’t something you ‘get over’ quickly.”

 _He would know_ , Judy thought. He’d told her about how he and Smith had barely survived the escape from their crashed ship, (“I should have left her for dead, looking back on it”) (He wouldn't have). She remembered the day when they went to get the fuel, the moment where he disconnected the cable, and he fell over the face of the cliff. She had felt every cell in her body freeze, thinking he’d just signed his own death warrant. That he’d sacrificed himself to keep her from being pulled over, too.

The relief she’d felt when she saw his hand fly up, as she saw him haul himself up, back over the ledge… well, it was almost as overwhelming as when her parents had pulled _her_ back from the brink of death.

It was futile to claim that she didn’t care for him. She hadn’t thought it was that obvious, seeing as she hadn’t even realized it before. But here they were, together, in the middle of the night. She hadn’t gone to her parents, or her siblings after her nightmare. She had gone to Don.

The realization that she truly cared for him wasn’t as earth-shattering as she’d thought it would be. Perhaps it was because she knew that no matter what she felt about him, he would never reciprocate anything remotely romantic. He looked out for her out of friendship. He was overprotective, and stubborn, and way too invested in her safety, but it was never anything but friendly.

Judy hadn’t had much time for friends over the past couple of years.

She leaned her head against his shoulder, and reached up to lace her fingers with the hand he had rested around her arm. “It’s not fair.” She murmured.

“I know.”

They stared into the fire in heavy, yet companionable silence.

Judy knew they couldn’t stay there all night, no matter how badly she wanted to. She would go, soon. But for now, she was going to allow herself to be held, and for a short time, feel safe. She let herself be encompassed by this bubble of warmth, before reality came back to her- something that was becoming more of a waking nightmare each passing day.

Don was almost asleep when she rose to leave, and she grasped both his hands to tug him into a standing position. He blinked sleepy eyes at her and gave her that same, soft smile he’d worn before. Warmth spread through her chest at it. Somehow she knew that this smile was only for her.

“Thank you for coming,” She said, her voice quiet. She tried not to look away from his face. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Don shook his head, almost imperceptibly. “Yes, I did.” Before she could react, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. His lips were dry, and her skin tingled. She sucked in a silent breath, but that was all. He backed up, and squeezed her hand before dropping it. “Get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, and she watched his retreating back until he disappeared into the shadows of the Watanabe ship.

She looked up at the sky. The stars were winking out, and the sky was beginning to turn from black to violet. Sunrise was soon. Night never lasted long on this planet.

When she got back to her room, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The kiss burned pleasantly on her forehead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay between chapters! This is mostly filler, featuring our favorite overprotective dad, John Robinson. And Judy realizes just how many people have been paying attention to her. Enjoy!

John was already up, and eating cereal by the time Judy stumbled out of her room. She was only half awake, and fumbled around in the cabinets until she was able to locate, and rehydrate, her own breakfast.

It wasn’t until she sat down across from her father that he spoke. “No.” His voice was flat, and he stared at her hard. It wasn’t quite a glare, but the intensity of his gaze was not something she was ready for this early in the morning.

She blinked, certain she hadn’t heard him right. “What?”

“No.” He said again, as if this one word was all the context she needed. He turned back to his cereal, clearly thinking this three-word conversation was over.

Judy wasn’t so sure. “What ‘no’? What does that even mean?”

John sighed, as though her request for a sensible conversation was a monumental task. “The security system went off last night, said someone used the door in the middle of the night.” _Oh, shit_. “So, thinking a wild animal got on board, I went to check outside, only to see my oldest daughter hanging out with Don West in the middle of the night.” Judy winced. She knew her father wasn’t Don’s biggest fan by any means. In fact, that was the only thing he and Victor Dhar seemed to agree upon.

“Ookayy,” Judy drew out the word, her mind still working. She had a feeling she knew where this was going, but she didn’t like it. “I couldn’t sleep, and I needed to get some fresh air.” Her dad knew she hadn’t been sleeping, this wasn’t news.

“So Don just happened to show up, out of the blue, in the middle of the night?” John was wearing his impenetrable Dad Mask- the one where she knew he would look impassive and vaguely pissed until he heard whatever he would believe to be the right answer.

“Yes- well, no. Not exactly.” Her dad waited. Judy blew out a breath, seeing no point in lying. “I commed him, asked him to come out. I just needed to talk to someone.”

John’s face softened a little. “You couldn’t talk to us?”

Judy grimaced, and she thought for a moment, trying to organize her words into less of a jumbled mess. “It’s different, talking to you. He didn’t know about any of the… the ice. You were there. I needed to talk to someone who I knew wouldn’t say ‘It’s gonna be okay’.”

John leaned back in his seat, interested. “So, what did he say?”

“He said it’s not going to be something I get over quickly, and that it isn’t fair.” She gave a slight shrug. “It was nice to hear something a little different, I guess.” She didn’t mention the kiss, how the memory of it still tingled, right there on the surface of her skin. How it chased away her nightmares, even briefly.

John nodded. “I see.” His voice was slow, a clear sign that he was thinking carefully about his next words, just like how she did. “So you and Don. You’re not…” He trailed off, making a vague wave with one hand.

She was getting really tired of having this conversation. “You can ask Mom, you can ask Penny. I’m not dating Don.” She paused, taking in the obvious relief on her dad’s face, and decided to push his buttons, just a little. “But even if I was, that would be up to him and me. Nobody else.”

John’s frown was back. “He’s too old for you, Judy.”

Judy bit back a scoff. She knew this was coming, and still felt incredulity at his words. “We’re hundreds of light years away from any sort of human civilization, and you’re worried about propriety?”

“I’m worried about _you,_ Judy.” Her dad got up to toss out his trash. “Look, no one will ever be good enough for you, at least in my eyes. But you’re your own person. You’re an adult, which I honestly still can’t quite wrap my head around.” He dropped a kiss on her hair. “I just want what’s best for you.”

She looked up at her dad, and squeezed his arm reassuringly. “Thanks, Dad. Really, you don’t have to worry about me.” 

John chuckled as he walked out, tension broken. “Parents never stop worrying about their children, honey.”

\--

“Doc, why is your dad giving me death glares?” Judy jumped as Don’s voice sounded behind her. She was digging through the trunk of the Chariot, looking for the back-up walkie-talkies that she _knew_ were in there, somewhere. It was another sunny day, though not as unbearably hot as usual, for which she was thankful. She couldn't take much more of the stifling heat of this strange planet.

“Good morning to you too, thanks for scaring the living daylights out of me.” She responded as she turned around. He was wearing a grey t-shirt today, and the sound of clucking at his ankles drew her eyes down to the chicken that had apparently followed him outside. Wherever Don was, Debbie was likely to follow.

Don smiled. “Hi. Good morning. Sorry. Why does your dad look like he wants to tear off my arm and beat me with the bloody end of it?”

“Gross, Don.” He raised an eyebrow, still waiting for an answer. Judy sighed, and leaned against the Chariot. “Probably because he thinks you and I are secretly dating. Apparently, he saw me crying to you last night.”

Don’s eyebrows shot up. “Dating?” He seemed to be processing for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

Judy patiently waited for him to get his breath back. “Yes, very funny. He interrogated me before I even had a cup of coffee this morning. It was evil.”

Don was still gasping for air, his words interspersed with giggles. “Dating. On this planet. Where we seem to be escaping death every three seconds. Yet we somehow had time to buy each other flowers and chocolates.”

“Who said I was buying you flowers?”

Don pressed a hand to his chest. “I need to be wooed, Doctor Robinson.”

“Ah, and here I thought I could just win you over with my charm.” Judy relaxed, relieving a bit of tension she hadn’t noticed in her shoulders. Friendly banter was safe ground, familiar ground. “Anyway, I told him we were just friends, and that was that. He’ll probably still glare at you for the rest of time, though. That’s just how he is.”

“Just friends?” Was she imagining things, or did he look a little disappointed? “I thought we were huckleberry friends.” Definitely her imagination, then. She punched him in the shoulder a little harder than necessary. “Ow! Watch it, unnecessary violence. I’m delicate.” He rubbed his arm, for once not covered by his trademark jacket.

Then, he looked over her head at something, his expression flickering briefly. Judy turned in time to see Victor Dhar giving them the same suspicious look her father had been, and it took all of Judy’s strength not to roll her eyes. Honestly, these people…

“Y’know, Victor’s been needling me about you a lot, too.” Don’s unexpected words had her whirling back around to face him. His eyes were still beyond her, likely tracking the movements of his reluctant ally across the camp. “At first I thought it was because you’re a Robinson, but now…” He looked at her, and she saw his perplexed expression. Don shrugged, and the confusion on his face was replaced with amusement. “But Victor is kind of a prick, so I’m not that interested in what he thinks.”

“I can tell.” Judy’s voice was drier than the Sahara. “Okay then, Huckleberry. You want to help me find these walkie talkies?”

Don was already reaching for a box. “If I do, will you let me drive the Chariot?”

“Nope.”

“Rude.”

It was impossible to have personal space when the both of them were reaching into the back of the Chariot, dragging out boxes and bags, but she didn’t say anything about when his body grazed up against hers. She didn’t freeze when he placed a hand on her shoulder when she seemed to lose her balance. And she wasn’t disappointed when, after only half an hour, they found the walkie-talkies in a box, buried deep under various parts for speakers and wire replacements. 

Don was called away for his help on another problem, and Judy peeked around the Chariot to see her dad glaring at Don’s turned back, and she giggled, quietly, before she rushed off to the tech tent. 

The tech tent, where conversation immediately dried up as soon as she ducked under the flap of the tent. Judy's cheeks heated up, though she wasn't sure why. Surely she hadn't done anything to mortally offend fifteen people at once.

"He-ey guys," Judy greeted them slowly, cautious.

There was a smattering of greetings, quieter than expected. Everyone suddenly seemed very interested in the gadgets in their hands, or messing with very clearly unusable engines.

As conversation slowly started up again, though more quiet than before, Judy bit her lip, and turned to the girl nearest to her. Trish was her name, and she was just as interested in flipping dials and toying uselessly with wires as everyone else.

"Trish?" Judy's voice was quiet, but Trish still jumped when Judy spoke.

"Yeah?" Her eyes were wide, and her fingers carelessly grazed over a wire. "Ouch! Shit."

Instinctively, Judy reached out for the girl's hand. "Here, let me see that."

As she turned Trish's hand over, she asked, "So, what's the big secret?"

"What secret?" The girl was pointedly looking at her own fingers, and not Judy's face.

"Did I do something wrong?" Judy asked, genuinely concerned. She knew she could sometimes be brusque, but if she had unintentionally offended someone...

Trish's green eyes snapped up to hers, and Judy saw some of the wariness leave her face. "Oh, no, no. It's nothing like that. It's just..." Her freckled cheeks reddened, and the corners of her mouth quirked.

"What?" Judy pressed her, curiosity burning even brighter now.

Trish's mouth curled into an amused smile. "Well, we were just wondering when you and Don got together." The other techs, hearing this, giggled like twittering birds. 

Judy should have been surprised. But she had heard this so many times over the past week, she was able to play it off with a roll of her eyes. "And what makes you think that?"

Trish quirked an eyebrow, and Amal, a tall guy who Maureen trusted with her precious whiteboard, was the one to say, "Well, it's kind of obvious."

 _Obvious?_ Judy's mouth went dry. "There's nothing... I mean we're not..."

"You're not?" This sent a ripple of surprise through the gathered group, and Judy prayed for some freak ability to melt into the ground to escape the burning embarrassment of this moment forever.

"Well, someone should probably tell Don that." Amal commented, turning back to the whiteboard.

Judy gaped at him. "What are you..." She trailed off again, unwilling to finish her sentence.

Trish smiled apologetically at her. "He just means, well, we all see it. The way he looks at you..." Trish's face was more serious, though not unkind. "You're not unintelligent, Judy. Talk to the poor boy, for all of our sakes." Then, Trish's hands were on Judy's shoulders, guiding her out of the tent.

Judy once again found herself standing outside of the tent, looking towards her Chariot. Only, this time, Don wasn't there to send her his usual nerve-calming smile. So Judy wrapped her arms around herself, and dashed back into the Jupiter, intent on hiding from everyone in the camp, possibly forever. Or at least until the burning embarrassment she was feeling vanished.

But it was more than embarrassment, wasn't it? Judy reflected on the past few weeks as she ducked into her room, grateful for the privacy her shut door allowed her. Everyone, it seemed, believed she and Don were together. Romantically. Sure, they had a relationship, but it was one of friendship, built on mutual trauma and tolerance.

No, they could never be nothing more than that. 

Judy shivered, the heat draining quickly from her cheeks as that thought implanted itself in her mind. More than a thought, it was a fact. And it was one she needed to accept, fast. Before her emotions became even more muddled than before.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo. This is a long one, and gratuitously fluffy. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!
> 
> ALSO: Huge shout out to TheIronDragon10 for reading all of my LIS fics, despite never having seen the show. She's a rock star, and y'all should definitely read her stuff because it's seriously amazing.

It was a party. 

Judy wasn’t entirely sure how it happened. One minute, the whole group had been gathered by the Robinson/Watanabe/Dhar group to discuss future plans, the next, there was music blasting from someone’s Chariot, and people we dancing, and someone was handing out cups filled with whiskey. Don sidled up to her with his typical grin, a cup clutched in each hand.

“Double fisting tonight, West?” She cocked an eyebrow. “I’m impressed.”

“And here I was, trying to be nice,” To her surprise, he held out one cup to her. “This is for you, Doc.”

“I’m not old enough to drink.” She said, as if he needed reminding. 

“Maybe by Earth rules.” He kept his arm extended. “Come on, the police aren’t gonna arrest you if you have a small sip.”

Judy rolled her eyes, and Don grinned as she took the cup from him, and took an experimental sip. It tasted awful, but it burned pleasantly against the back of her throat. She took another sip, relishing in the feeling. 

Don moved to stand next to her, watching others dance to the music. “Good?”

Judy shrugged. “It’s whiskey.”

He gave her a playful side eye. “That whiskey is the only alcohol in the entire galaxy. That is damn good whiskey right there.”

“Touchy subject?” She asked mildly, taking another sip. “And here I thought you were proud of your smuggling business.”

Don sighed. “Smuggling is such an ugly word. I’m just a guy who delivers people what they want. Certain goods.. And products…”

This time, it was Judy who laughed. “The whiskey’s fine, Don.”

He brightened, and there was a touch of relief in his voice. “I’m glad. And look at all the joy it brought the people!”

“The people?”

Don threw a friendly arm around her shoulders, gesturing with his cup to the throng of people, all still dancing and drinking, and singing along to old Earth tunes. “The people! Look, even your dad is dancing.”

Judy followed his pointing finger, and sure enough, her dad was standing at the edge of the group, bobbing his head up and down to the music as he chatted with someone she recognized from the tech tent. She really hoped whoever it was wasn’t relaying to her father the conversation she’d endured with them a mere two days prior.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day.” She drained her cup, and set it down on the ground next to her. Don’s arm stayed securely around her, and she flexed her fingers, unsure what to do with her hands. Under the cover of night, with no one looking at them, she felt perfectly comfortable leaning against him, but now, in the fiery light of dusk, she once again felt awkward and childish.

Then the song changed, and she felt Don light up. He threw back the rest of his drink, and his arm dropped from her shoulders, only for him to grab her hand. “I love this song.” He beamed, trying to pull her towards the group of dancers. “Come on, think of this as… as making up for years of lost prom nights.” Judy tried to tug him back, but Don seemed completely taken by his own idea. “In fact, I promise to deliver the full prom experience.”

“Don, no,” She tried to protest. “I don’t know how to dance, I’ll just trip, and knock someone over-”

He was still smiling that smile. That get-out-of-jail-free smile. The kind that had convinced her to do stupid, silly things with him in the past. The kind that he knew would get her to do stupid, silly things with him now. “I’ll hold you up.”

Judy was only human. With the promise of his hands around her, she allowed him to pull her closer to the crowd, and followed his lead as he jumped and spun around and yelled out all the lyrics. She mirrored, him, minus the lyrics. It was a rock song she was unfamiliar with, but she laughed anyway when Don played the air guitar, complete with head banging that made her worry about the state of his brain. His eyes glittered in the light, and she found herself feeling lightheaded, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol.

The last guitar notes warbled out into the night, and were replaced with a far more mellow tune- one she did recognize. It was a slow song, and she tried to pull him away as couples started pairing off, swaying to the music. Judy looked around and caught Trish’s eye, and looked away quickly when she recognized the amused look on the girl’s face, and the way she pointedly looked at Don, and then Judy again. Judy was grateful Don couldn’t see her face flush, and hastened to get out off the makeshift dance floor.

“Ah, ah, Doc.” He stopped her from going far. “I believe I promised the full prom experience.” He gestured towards the slow dancing couples. There weren’t many, but even Penny and Vijay were standing at the far edge of the crowd, chatting quietly and swaying in tandem, though not touching. 

Judy looked back to the spot where she’d seen her father earlier, and watched with cautious optimism as he walked up behind Maureen, and wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed a kiss against her cheek. When her mom smiled, so did Judy.

She turned back to face Don, who had his hand outstretched. _Screw it._ “Okay, full prom experience. I’m in.”

He smiled widely at her, as if it were Christmas Day, and she’d given him a gift he’d been wanting all year. He tugged her close, and placed one hand on her waist, and guided her left hand up to his shoulder. Then, he took her right hand, and lead her in a slow sway, moving in time with the music.

“I’m going to step on your toes.” Judy warned him. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes when they were this close. She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding.

“I think I’ll live.” He chuckled. “My abuela taught me a couple of things about dancing. There were no shortage of stepped-on toes for either of us.”

Judy smiled encouragingly. Don so rarely talked about his family, it made any anecdotes he shared feel that more special. “She taught me the waltz and the tango. We tried the salsa, but after we _both_ almost broke our hips, we decided it wasn’t worth it.” He chuckled lightly at the memory. “She taught me because, as she said, ‘You’ll never get girls if you dance like those _gringos_ at your school’.”

They both laughed at that. “Well, did it work?” Judy asked, carefully maneuvering her feet out of the way of his. “Did you get any girls?” Her voice was light, and teasing.

Don’s gaze briefly flickered to the horizon behind her, before he refocused on her face. The way he stared at her, it felt like he could see right into her mind. “I think I’m about to find out.”

Judy sucked in a tiny breath, and Don chose that moment to spin her out, and twirl her. Her mind spun twice as fast as her body, and by the time her partner pulled her close again, she could hardly stumble along with him, much less follow his lead.

They were dancing closer than they were before. Judy couldn’t find it in herself to complain. They danced in a comfortable quiet for a minute, while Judy tried to collect herself, and Don kept his promise of keeping her from knocking anyone over.

She stared off into space, directed at the nothingness above his shoulder. _I think I’m about to find out_ . There was no denying what he’d meant when he said that, but Judy still had a hard time believing it. That he… that _Don_ felt the same way for her as she did him. He’d just admitted it so freely, with no hesitation. Meanwhile, she’d spent weeks trying to hide those same feelings from herself and from him, fearing rejection, and his reaction.

She looked up to see Don looking at something behind her, his expression carefully blank. Judy twisted in his hold to follow his gaze. John was dancing with Maureen, but seemed perfectly fine with diverting his attention from his wife in favor of glaring daggers at Don. He then caught Judy’s eye, and gave her a look that seemed to say, “Are you kidding me?”

She flashed back to their conversation just a few days before, where she had promised her father that there was nothing going on between her and Don. She wasn’t sure he’d believed her before, and this wasn’t helping with her claims.

She felt Don pull away. “Okay, before your dad comes over here to, like, smash my kneecaps…”

“No,” Judy’s voice was strong, and she sent her dad her own version of the Look, before turning back to Don, and pulling him close again. “You promised me the full prom experience, Huckleberry.” His eyes flicked nervously back up to John. Judy forcibly turned them in a half circle, so he was no longer in view. “Are you really gonna go back on your promise?” It was slightly mean, but Judy was tired of worrying so much about what everyone else thought. She really was having a good time, and she wasn’t going to let her father’s over-protective tendencies ruin her night with her friend. Her more-than-friend. 

Don finally looked back at her, and he smiled lightly, though there was still tension in his shoulders. “No, never.”

The song ended, and another, more pop-filled tune picked up, and suddenly they were jumping up and down again, shaking off the stress of three weeks of fighting against a planet that seemed determined to destroy them.

The music played on as the sun set. At one point, Penny appeared next to them, and shrieked in delight when she saw her sister loosening up. “Who are you, and what did you do with my sister?” She demanded, her braids flying this way and that as she danced.

“You can thank me for that.” Don boasted proudly. “I’m very persuasive.”

Penny widened her eyes, looking back and forth between the two of them, and Judy bit her lip, shrugging helplessly at Penny’s victorious stare. “I bet.” She said, her voice dripping with implication. “You must be, to get this one out of the med bay.”

“I also happen to be a great dance partner.” He grinned, easily skating past Penny’s subtle accusation.

“Oh really?”

“Yep.” Don reached out and spun Penny once, twice, three times until the redhead was a breathless, giggling mess. Will appeared behind her, his hair sweaty and mussed. His face was red, but he was grinning. The Robot clanked loudly behind him, but neither Judy or Don reacted to the presence of his now-constant companion. 

“Isn’t this great?” He asked no one in particular. “It’s like a school dance, except better!”

Judy and her sister exchanged a look before bursting out into another fit of giggles. It felt good to laugh. Despite the constant terror, Judy had laughed more in the past few weeks than she had in years. 

They all danced together for a few more songs, but night began to fall, the group started to thin out. Penny dragged a protesting Will away, reminding him that there were circuits to rewire, and planets to get off of.

Don and Judy ended up sitting by the fire, exhausted from the hours of dancing. “That’s how prom’s supposed to go.” He was explaining, as she pulled off her boot to massage her sore foot. “If you’re not sore, you didn’t do it right.”

Judy grimaced. “I’m kinda glad I missed it, then.”

Don bumped her shoulder. “At least no one was wearing heels.”

“Oh god, I would have been fallen down in _seconds_.”

“I was talking about me. My legs look great in heels. Shows off all my muscle.”

Judy dissolved into another fit of laughter. “I’m sure you look fantastic.” She beamed up at him, unbidden, and he mirrored her expression. “Really though, I had a great time. I can now officially say I’ve been to prom.”

“Full experience, delivered as promised.” He paused. “Actually...” Don stood up, holding out a hand to stop her from following. “I’ve got an idea, just. Stay there.” He walked backwards a few steps, waiting until she held up her hands, staying seated, and then he turned and hurried off into the dark.

It was only a few moments before her father dropped into seat Don had vacated.

“Dad.” She greeted him, cautiously looking his way.

“Judy.” His voice wasn’t hard like she’d expected. “So. Our conversation a few days ago…?” He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to fill in the blanks.

Judy shrugged, sheepish. “Things might have. Uh. Changed?”

John sighed, though it wasn’t with disappointment. It was more like she’d given him the answer he’d expected, and he was still deciding how he felt about it. “I won’t tell you how to live your life,” Judy bit back a biting retort about the times he had done exactly that, and let him finish. “But I mean what I said. No one will ever be good enough for you. Not to me, anyway.” He placed a hand on her back, and Judy leaned into her dad instinctively. “And if you ever need me to punch someone, say a certain mechanic, just say the word. I have a mean uppercut.”

Judy laughed then, taking this as her dad’s tacit approval. She leaned back, and gave him a small, genuine smile. “Thanks, dad.”

He stood up, dusting imaginary dirt off of his pants. “Just make sure you’re home before late. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“I’ll probably be right behind you,” Judy promised.

John squinted at something past her. “Maybe.” He turned away then, walking back to their Jupiter. “Victor said not to keep your boyfriend out late tonight. He’s needed tomorrow to strip their Jupiter.” He called over his shoulder.

“Dad!” Judy groaned, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. John just kept walking, until her had disappeared into their home.

Of course, that was when Don chose to reappear. “Should I run and hide?” He asked, only half kidding.

Judy shook her head, and stood up. “No. That was just my dad being… well, being my dad.” She walked over to him. “So, what did you run off to do?”

He held up a finger. “Wait for it.”

Judy raised an eyebrow, and waited. Five seconds passed, and the last strains of Party in the U.S.A. faded out. Ten seconds passed. Quiet. She realized they were the last two outside.

Then finally. The soft strum of a guitar. Familiar lyrics floated through the night air.

“Oh my god, Don.” Judy shook her head even as the corners of her lips lifted. “Really?”

Don reached out for her again, fitting himself easily against her. “Really. This is part of the prom experience, too. One last dance on painfully sore feet before we give up.”

He spun her slowly, and Judy twirled obligingly. At some point in the night, her hair had fallen out of her braid, and was now falling freely past her shoulders. It swished, tickling her sweaty neck as she danced.

They were dancing far closer than was strictly necessary, now. Judy released his hand in favor of wrapping her arms loosely around the back of his neck, like she’d seen girls do in movies hundreds of times. Like she’d seldom ever done.

Don repositioned both of his hands on her waist. The heat of them burned her already flushed skin.

“You know,” Judy started slowly. “There’s something else I never got to do.”

“Hmm?” Don looked at her inquiringly. Their noses were almost brushing.

“I believe it’s part of this alleged prom experience.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Don smiled at her then. “I did promise the whole package, didn’t I?”

“You did.”

“Well then,” His voice dropped, to something low and intoxicating. A voice she had never heard him use before, but _god,_ she wanted to hear more. “I would be… remiss to leave anything out.”

Judy opened her mouth to reply, but she was cut off as Don slanted his lips over hers in a kiss. His lips felt like warm against hers, a flame that spread like wildfire through her. She could never be terrified of ice, not when Don kissed her like that. 

He pulled away after a few seconds. He looked happy, but there was a question in his eyes. Hesitation that she recognized well. “Was that…?”

She fisted a hand in his shirt. “ _Yes_ ,” She said, emphatically, before dragging him down for another kiss. He made a pleased noise in the back of his throat, and she let go of his shirt to thread her fingers in his soft hair.

He wrapped strong arms around her waist, hugging her to him in a way that made her lift up on her tiptoes in order to keep kissing him. He broke from their kiss only to press heated little kisses to her cheeks, and forehead. She giggled when his stubble tickled the sensitive skin of her neck as he tried to kiss her below her jaw. Everywhere his lips touched, she felt that part of her body become alight. His kisses were fire, lighting her up in a trail of flames, burning pleasantly against her skin, keeping her warm against the threat of ice. She was thawing in his arms.

Judy tugged on his hair, pulling his face back to her. She wanted desperately to kiss him again, and keep kissing him, and kissing him. To have his lips press against hers until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he started. To keep that burning kiss going until she was seeing stars. To tell him that she loved him, needed him, wanted him.

But she couldn’t help but stare at him. His face was flushed, and his hair was a mess (thanks to her). He smiled broadly when she looked at him. “Hi.” He said, breathless.

“Hi.” She agreed.

\--

_Moon river, wider than a mile,_

_I’m crossing you in style, someday._

_Oh, dreammaker, you heartbreaker,_

_Wherever you’re going, I’m going your way._

_Two drifters, off to see the world._

_There’s such a lot of world to see._

_We’re after the same rainbow’s end._

_Waiting round the bend._

_My huckleberry friend._

_Moon river, and me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all! Once again, thanks for reading!


End file.
